Petunia plant named ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large lavender-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FORT TRAILING LIGHT LAVENDER’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia,botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new freely-branching Petunia cultivars with earlyand freely flowering habit, and unique and attractive flower color.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 1999 in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietaryselections of Petunia×hybrida, not patented. The new Petunia wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2003, has shownthat the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender has not been observed underall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environment and cultural practices such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fort Trailing LightLavender’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large lavender-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading than        and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are broader than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the maleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are broader than plants of the male        parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the Petuniacultivar Revolution Pastelpink No. 3, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,310. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of thecultivar Revolution Pastelpink No. 3 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely branching than        plants of the cultivar Revolution Pastelpink No. 3.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of        the cultivar Revolution Pastelpink No. 3.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view oftypical flowering plants of ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’ grown in ahanging basket container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photograph and following observations, measurements and valuesdescribe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercialpractice during the late winter and spring in a glass-covered greenhousewith day temperatures averaging 18° C. and night temperatures averaging18° C. Rooted young plants had been growing for about ten weeks when thephotograph and description were taken. Plants used for the descriptionwere grown in 10.5-cm containers. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fort Trailing    Light Lavender.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summary.—About five to seven days at            temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six to eight days at            temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19            days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to            three weeks at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to trailing            growth habit; flattened globular in shape. Freely branching            habit with about six primary lateral branches each with            multiple secondary lateral branches; pinching is typically            not required. Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 40 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 20 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 0.5 cm to 1 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.        -   Color.—144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 5.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.

    -   Base.—Attenuate.

    -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            137B; venation, 143A to 143B. Developing and fully expanded            foliage, lower surface: 138B; venation, 143B to 143C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Relatively large salverform            flowers arranged singly arising from leaf axils. Freely            flowering habit with usually about 14 open flowers and            flower buds developing per lateral branch. Flowers not            persistent. Flowers face upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            late spring into autumn in The Netherlands. Plants typically            beginning flowers about 6.5 weeks after planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on            the plant.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7.5 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 5.5 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About            2.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color: Close to 137B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 6.3 cm. Petal lobe width: About 3.2 cm. Petal shape:            Spatulate. Petal apex: Retuse. Petal margin: Entire. Petal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.            Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Densely            pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: 75A.            Petal, when opening, lower surface: 76C. Petal, fully            opened, upper surface: 75A to 75B; color becoming closer to            75B to 75C with development. Petal, fully opened, lower            surface: 76C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            1.8 cm. Sepal width: About 3 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly            oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,            immature and mature, upper surface: 137C. Color, immature            and mature, lower surface: 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            Erect to about 40° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per            flower. Filament length: About 2 cm. Anther shape: Broadly            reniform. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 158C.            Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 155A. Pistils:            Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 2.1 cm. Style            length: About 2.1 cm. Style color: 145C. Stigma shape:            Flattened, three-lobed. Stigma color: 143C. Ovary color:            143C.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Fort Trailing Light Lavender’as illustrated and described.